2 or 4-lane arterials that are (or being) converted into freeways

[tolbs17]

https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/FeasibilityStudiesDocuments/FS-1810A_Feasibility-Study_Report_2020.pdf

This document shows a perfect example of it (Although, this is more of a boulevard design). Who wants that to be upgraded to a full freeway?!?!?!?!?!

Let's start off here. There will be NO median. And no, I'm not talking about 2-lane freeways or super-2s rather.

US-220 in Greensboro (which is now I-73), go back to 2007 and see it was a 2-lane arterial back then.

US-70 in Durham Currently a 4-lane arterial, is planned to be a 6-lane freeway.

Some say Greenville Blvd should really get a freeway (or expressway) look (like US-70 in Goldsboro or similar to that document I listed above), but will be very expensive.

[ozarkman417]

Kellogg (US 54/400) in Wichita?

SM-G965U

[webny99]

US 281 north of San Antonio

[sprjus4]

US-17 Dominion Blvd in Chesapeake, VA was widened from a two lane arterial into a four lane freeway with two new fixed span bridges crossing the Elizabeth River. Construction took place between 2013 and 2017.

Various segments of US-70 in North Carolina between Clayton and Havelock will be upgraded from four lane non-limited-access divided highway to four lane interstate highway over the next decade as apart of the Interstate 42 project.

[ilpt4u]

What, like the Keystone Parkway and US 31 in Carmel, IN/North of I-465?

[3467]

I can answer that in the past for Illinois since there are only a few active expressways and no freeways. I can think of 55 which used some 4 lane sections of 66 and much of 2 lane Illinois 121 became part of I 155.

[Revive 755]

MO 94 in St. Charles County from about Mid Rivers Mall Drive to Muegee Road in St. Charles was four lanes before being upgrade into part of MO 364, but could have been considered more of a signalized expressway than an arterial.

The section of MO 94 between MO 364 and I-70, part of which has more than four lanes, could become a freeway in the future - IIRC there was a study by St. Charles County for such an upgrade a few years back, and possible nterchanges for this segment show up on Pages 105 to 109 of a St. Charles County Long Range Transportation Plan.

[Techknow]

The Sonoma-Marin Narrows, AKA US 101 between the Sonoma and Marin counties in California. There are some documents that describe the progress of building the 3rd lane in both directions which is supposed to be an HOV lane. Here's the latest one from December 2020, which says the final segment has been funded. Historically (up until two years ago) it starts at the Atherton Avenue exit in Novato and ends at the CA 116 junction in Petaluma as a 4-lane expressway.

The last time I driven on this segment was September 2019, at that time the 3rd lane was still closed but was already paved. All at-grade intersections have been replaced by interchanges and frontage roads.

[SkyPesos]

The section of MO 94 between MO 364 and I-70, part of which has more than four lanes, could become a freeway in the future - IIRC there was a study by St. Charles County for such an upgrade a few years back, and possible nterchanges for this segment show up on Pages 105 to 109 of a St. Charles County Long Range Transportation Plan.

From the MoDOT site, I only see a plan to widen that section from 4 to 6 lanes, redo the interchange between MO 94/MO 364/Muegee and removal of the Portwest signal. Though not a freeway, still a nice improvement. Only issue left is the SPUI between MO 94 and I-70. It would be nice if a flyover gets added for the WB 70 to WB 94 movement.

[Big John]

WI 29/32 northwest of Green Bay.  Remove at-grade crossings of County Highways U and VV and construct an interchange between them and other overpass construction.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Several highways in Indiana have received or will be receiving the upgrades to a freeway:

Keystone Parkway in Carmel- was an INDOT maintained highway signed as SR 431 that was turned to the city of Carmel in 2007 and rebuilt all intersections to roundabout interchanges in 2009-2010 with the 96th Street interchange being completed in 2019.
US 31- was a 4-lane highway through the northern suburbs of Indy with traffic signals. Rebuilt to a six-lane freeway in the 2010s.
SR 37 in Fishers- currently being upgraded to a freeway from I-69 to 146th Street. Another separate project will upgrade the remaining portion from 146th Street to SR 32 in Noblesville.
SR 37 between Bloomington to Indy- currently being upgraded to I-69. Bloomington to south of Martinsville is complete with the final section between Martinsville and Indy to be complete in 2024.

[RZF]

Potentially CA-1 in Oxnard (Rice Ave) may turn into a freeway to bypass the city. But it's probably a long shot.

[RobbieL2415]

US 113?

[Rick Powell]

I can answer that in the past for Illinois since there are only a few active expressways and no freeways. I can think of 55 which used some 4 lane sections of 66 and much of 2 lane Illinois 121 became part of I 155.

Bits and pieces of old US 51 became I-39 north of Normal. Congress Street became a good chunk of I-290.

[sparker]

Potentially CA-1 in Oxnard (Rice Ave) may turn into a freeway to bypass the city. But it's probably a long shot.

Roughly the same odds as winning Super Lotto one week and Mega Millions the next!  Remember, you're in Caltrans D7, presently gun-shy about even considering new freeway mileage not out in the desert (and even that's pretty iffy at best!).

[kernals12]

Once the Battlefield Parkway interchange is built, VA 7 will be a freeway from Sterling to Berryville.

[Dirt Roads]

Once the Battlefield Parkway interchange is built, VA 7 will be a freeway from Sterling to Berryville.

How's the single lane flyover from Byrd Highway to the Leesburg Bypass holding up with traffic?  I always thought it was short-sided to assume that westbound VA-7, northbound US-15 and downtown Leesburg traffic would balance out evenly from the 6-lane section of Byrd Highway.

[sprjus4]

Once the Battlefield Parkway interchange is built, VA 7 will be a freeway from Sterling to Berryville.

Not fully, as I believe a couple private driveways including one to a hotel will exist. The problem is that the project is divided into individual interchanges to replace signalized intersections, but it is not being done as a blanket "freeway" project even though it will essentially function as one. Another project is needed to widen the shoulders to meet interstate standards (still curb and gutter in some areas!), straighten out the roadway overall to be level instead of hilly, and construct frontage roads to eliminate the few drives that will exist, making it a true freeway like VA-28 is.

[hobsini2]

US 151 east of I-90/94 was at on point a 4 lane divided highway all the way to Wis 19. And there were sections of 151 as a 2 lane that became a freeway between Columbus and Sun Prairie. In parts, most 151 is being upgraded to a freeway from Dubuque to Fond du Lac.

[Tom958]

GA 316 between Lawrenceville and Athens, though it's a matter of interchanges being added in piecemeal order. Beyond the mile or so between Sugarloaf Parkway and Harbins Road, I couldn't say when there'll be another uninterrupted section of fully controlled access highway between two interchanges.

[Gnutella]

GA 316 between Lawrenceville and Athens, though it's a matter of interchanges being added in piecemeal order. Beyond the mile or so between Sugarloaf Parkway and Harbins Road, I couldn't say when there'll be another uninterrupted section of fully controlled access highway between two interchanges.

This is how I think GDOT should prioritize GA 316 east of the Harbins Road interchange:


1. Build an overpass for Carl-Bethlehem Road. This would create 4.0 miles of access control, from Patrick Mill Road to Harry McCarty Road.

2. Complete the West Winder Bypass (new GA 211 alignment) interchange, and eliminate the Patrick Mill Road intersection. This would extend access control to 5.4 miles, from Kilcrease Road to Harry McCarty Road.

3. Complete the GA 11 interchange, and build an overpass or otherwise eliminate access from Harry McCarty Road. This would extend access control to 7.5 miles, from Kilcrease Road to Harrison Mill Road.

4. Complete the GA 53 interchange, and build overpasses for Harrison Mill Road, Smith Cemetery Road, and Jackson Trail Road. This would extend access control to 11.5 miles, from Kilcrease Road to Wall Road.

5. Build an interchange at Kilcrease Road. This would extend access control to 13.4 miles, from Drowning Creek Road to Wall Road.

6. Build an interchange at Drowning Creek Road, and a frontage road for Oak Valley Road and Williams Farm Road to access Harbins Road. This would extend access control to 17.9 miles, from Winder Highway (old U.S. 29) to Wall Road.

7. Build an interchange at the Oconee Connector, an overpass at Virgil Langford Road, a two-lane flyover ramp from the "inner" (clockwise) Athens Perimeter to GA 316 westbound, and a straight two-lane ramp from GA 316 eastbound to the "outer" (counterclockwise) Athens Perimeter. This would create 1.9 miles of access control, from Jimmy Daniel Road to the Athens Perimeter.

8. Build an interchange at Jimmy Daniel Road, and an overpass at Julian Drive. This would extend access control to 4.8 miles, from Mars Hill Road to the Athens Perimeter.


The segment of GA 316 from GA 53 to U.S. 78 is a low priority right now, because traffic flows relatively smoothly there. However, cross traffic has increased at some of the intersections near Statham in recent years, so the first work done on the GA 53 to U.S. 78 segment would be to build an interchange at Bethlehem Road (old GA 211 alignment), and overpasses at Barber Creek Road and Craft Road. I'd also consider reconfiguring the U.S. 78 interchange, with flyover ramps from GA 316 eastbound to U.S. 78 Business eastbound, and GA 316 westbound to U.S. 78 westbound.